


like clockwork

by starkly



Series: you've been thunderstruck [25]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, M/M, Magical Realism, Steampunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:47:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28281897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkly/pseuds/starkly
Summary: Every year the circus comes to town. Every year Thor sees the acrobat boy perform more death-defying feats. And every year he becomes a little more determined to actually meet him.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Thor
Series: you've been thunderstruck [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2064666
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	like clockwork

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for NaNoWriMo 2020 and [posted here](https://aleator.tumblr.com/post/636360923568799744) on my tumblr writing blog. This fic was proofread before being uploaded here but is otherwise unchanged.
> 
> Prompts taken from the AU-gust 2020 challenge list on Twitter. Day Twenty-Five: Circus AU.

Every year, at exactly the same time, the circus comes to town. Thor looks forward to it every year, not just because of the fun and excitement it brings to their dull little town, but because of one act in particular.

The first time he sees the boy on the trapeze, he’s ten years old and it’s the first time he’s ever been to the circus. It’s loud and bright, with lots of good food and people in flashy costumes doing tricks he’s never seen before. And in the middle of it all is the act on the trapeze, a family of acrobats who fly through the air with ease. The boy looks maybe five or six years older than him, and Thor is amazed at how confident he is doing such dangerous-looking stunts.

Every year after that, Thor is certain to visit the circus every time it stops in town. Every year he sees the acrobat boy perform even more death-defying feats, and every year he becomes a little more determined to actually meet him.

At fourteen, he finally builds up the courage to sneak backstage, slipping between tents and avoiding stagehands and performers who are prepping for that evening’s performance.

“What are you doing back here?” someone says out of the blue behind him, and Thor nearly jumps out of his skin. He spins around and then freezes in place when he sees it’s the boy from the trapeze act.

Or the young man from the trapeze act now. He’s gained a few inches in height and width over the years, but he’s still lean and his face is still clean-shaven. He’s smiling at Thor, not looking particularly angry or upset to see Thor sneaking around.

“I was looking for you,” Thor says before his courage fails him.

The boy’s smile gets brighter, if that’s even possible. “Why is that?”

“I come to the circus every year. You’re my favorite act.”

“Is that so? I’m glad to hear it.”

The boy seems genuine as he says it, so Thor finally smiles back. “My name’s Thor.”

“Tony,” he replies, holding out his hand.

Thor shakes it like he’s shaking the hand of someone far more important than a circus performer. Then he swallows nervously and says, “I want to join the circus.”

He expects Tony to laugh at him, but Tony just smiles at him, understanding. “You’d leave your whole family behind for that?”

Thor hesitates, because he doesn’t really want to leave his parents or his brother. He just also wants to join the circus and have every day be an adventure. “I could,” he protests. “I’m not a kid.”

“I can see that,” Tony says gently, the way people do when they’re trying to let someone down easy. “Not everyone’s as lucky as me. My family is here. You should stay where your family is too.”

Thor starts to protest again but Tony holds up a hand to calm him. “We’ll be back,” he reminds Thor. “There’s always next time. Spend the time you can with your family.”

Thor frowns, but he can’t think of any other arguments to make. Maybe Tony’s right and he’s not ready to leave yet.

“Next time,” he promises.

Tony smiles at him again, then reaches for his wrist to untie the bracelet he’s wearing and offer it to Thor. It’s a simple woven bracelet, dark red in color, and Thor takes it from him with wide eyes.

“Keep hold of this,” he tells Thor. “When you’re ready to join, if you ever are, you can give it back to me. If you change your mind, you can keep it.”

Thor clutches the bracelet in his hand, staring up at Tony with wide eyes as he nods.

“Now, enjoy the show tonight,” Tony tells him, gently nudging him back toward the main tent. “And stay out of trouble.”

Thor nods again, and then he goes running off to show Loki the prize he’d gotten and to tell him about how Tony said he could join the circus one day once he’s ready.

The next year there isn’t any trapeze show. Thor doesn’t see Tony in the show at all. When he asks around, he’s told in solemn tones that the Starks had a bad accident on the trapeze and they didn’t make it. Tony wasn’t hurt, but he’s too shook up to perform, and they haven’t found any replacement acrobats yet. Thor feels terrible for Tony and wishes he could comfort him somehow, but he can’t.

The circus keeps coming back to town, but Tony never comes with them. The years pass by and eventually Thor stops going to the circus altogether. Both his parents are gone and he’s the only one left to watch over his younger brother. He doesn’t have time for frivolities like the circus.

When Loki turns eighteen, Thor asks him what he wants for his birthday. They don’t have much, but Thor’s been saving up to buy him something nice to celebrate. To his surprise, all Loki asks for is a visit to the circus when it’s back in town.

“Aren’t you a little old for the circus?” Thor teases, but Loki doesn’t budge from his request. So that year when the circus returns, Thor takes Loki to the show just like he used to when they were children.

There’s a big poster up with an illustration advertising the new trapeze act, and Thor can’t help being a little sad that Tony’s not on it. He hasn’t seen him in six years now, though he still keeps the bracelet he got from him wrapped around his wrist. He hopes wherever Tony is now that he’s doing well.

The circus is much like it was when Thor last saw it; a few new or updated acts here or there, but otherwise very much the same. Thor remembers sitting in these stands as a boy and being awed by the magic he saw here. Now it just makes him feel melancholy.

When the trapeze act is about to start, Thor has half a mind to just get up and leave. But Loki grips his arm and makes him stay, and Thor sighs and stays in his seat, though he doesn’t know why Loki is being so strange about all this.

And then Thor sees him. Down in the ring stands a dark-haired man, a little older now and with facial hair, but he’s still the boy Thor remembers meeting all those years ago. He’s dressed not like an acrobat but more like a magician, and beside him are the people he recognizes from the new poster outside.

But unlike on the poster, these acrobats aren’t flesh and blood. There’s a murmur that goes through the crowd as they notice the same things that Thor does--the two acrobats appear to be made of gears and springs like clockwork, put into a casing shaped in human form. When they begin to move, the crowd gasps and watches intently.

Tony goes through a rehearsed routine, checking both acrobats as they move stiffly and slowly. After he seemingly sees no improvement in their behavior, he sighs dramatically and pulls out a magic wand, casting a spell over both machines.

At once the animatronics spring to life, no more jerky movements or creaky limbs. They move as people do, and as they climb the ladders up to the trapeze and begin to flip and fly through the air, it’s easy to forget they’re actually made of metal.

Thor doesn’t say a word until the routine is done. The clockwork acrobats return to the ground and stand on either side of Tony. Then all three of them bow to great applause from the audience before Tony waves his wand again and the two acrobats appear to power down until there isn’t a speck of movement from either of them.

This time when Thor gets up, Loki doesn’t try to stop him. As the crowd applauds and cheers, Thor stumbles down the stands and out of the big tent, ignoring anyone who tries to stop him as he pushes his way back behind the main tent. He comes to a stop only when he sees Tony packing up his mechanical acrobats, finding himself suddenly unable to talk. Tony looks up then and spots him, pausing for a moment before a broad smile breaks out over his face.

“Thor,” he says, and Thor’s heart skips a beat that he remembers his name. “You’re still here.”

“Where else would I be?” Thor manages to say, finding his tongue before he makes a fool of himself.

“I would’ve thought you’d skip town with the next traveling circus that came through.”

Thor shakes his head. “This is the only circus that comes through here.”

Tony nods once, and the two of them fall silent, neither saying anything for a long moment.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” Thor finally speaks up. “Are you...is everything okay?”

Tony smiles but he doesn’t meet Thor’s gaze, looking a little sad as he says, “I’m fine. I took a break from the circus, as you probably noticed.”

“So did I,” Thor replies. “I lost my parents too. It’s just been me and my brother. I’ve been looking out for him.”

Tony looks up then, surprised. “I’m sorry. It’s always sad to see the circus lose its magic for a kid.”

“I’m not a kid,” Thor protests, echoing the conversation they had six years ago, and Tony laughs softly. “You’re barely older than me. And I think the circus has its magic back thanks to you.”

Tony looks surprised again, so Thor clarifies, “Those acrobatic automatons? They were spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like that. Did you make them?”

“Ah, I did,” Tony replies, a shy smile on his face. “I couldn’t get back on the trapeze after…what happened, and I left the circus entirely for a few years. But this place is my home. I couldn’t just abandon it.”

“Your act was the best part of the whole show when I was a kid, and it’s the best part now,” Thor tells him confidently, reaching for Tony’s hand and holding it between both of his. “Thank you for coming back and reminding me of what I was missing.”

“And what was that?” Tony asks, looking up at Thor through his lashes. At some point since they’d been apart Thor had finally gotten taller than him.

“Magic,” Thor answers and brings Tony’s hand up to kiss his knuckles. Tony laughs and blushes hard enough it’s visible through his performance makeup.

“I have something for you,” Thor adds, letting go of Tony’s hand.

“Hm?” Tony says, somewhat distracted.

Thor reaches for the knot holding the bracelet around his wrist, untying it and holding it out to Tony. Tony looks confused for a moment, then his eyes go wide when he realizes what it is.

“You still have it,” he says with a smile, taking the bracelet from Thor to look at it closer. He rubs his thumb over the braided pattern, then looks back up at Thor. “You’re giving it back to me?”

Thor grins. “You told me to when I was ready to run away and join the circus.”

“But--your brother?”

“I’ll talk to him first, but I think he knew, somehow. He’s the one who talked me into coming here tonight.”

Tony hums thoughtfully, then takes Thor’s hand this time and ties the bracelet back around his wrist. “Whatever you decide, you can keep this,” Tony tells him, smiling warmly at him. “We’ll be here a few more days. Talk to your brother. Maybe he’ll want to join too.”

Thor catches Tony’s hand before he pulls away, giving him a gentle squeeze. “Thank you, Tony. I’m glad you came back.”

“I’m glad too. Here’s to a lot more magic,” Tony replies, and squeezes Thor’s hand in return, not letting go.

Thor entwines their fingers, holding on for a little while longer. He’s been waiting for years--he’s allowed a few more minutes.


End file.
